(2004)
My name is Michelle and I was born on December 7th. My grandma is a woman of God. If it weren’t for her I would have never heard anything about God. I went to church with my mamaw as a little child, and in my early teens I got saved, but I got my feelings hurt by the Pastor, I won't go into that story, it was to long ago. Anyway it made my dad mad so we left that church, it was a Pentecostal church. Then we found a Baptist church and starting going there, slowly I began to fall away from God, I would go to church, when I felt like it. I wasn't really dedicated. I had the hurt from the other church and I believe it started at the root of unforgiveness, but I can not blame my falling away from God on people.
I went into High School and about in the 11th grade I started hanging out with the grunge crowd, Outcast's you might call them. They were all into that witchcraft and I became curious and started messing with it. What really lured me into it was, I went out with this guy and he was a witch, he gave me a book. I began to read books about witchcraft that involved casting spells & meditation. I had a few books on the occult and some tarot cards. I had an altar with candles on it in my bedroom. I practiced witchcraft for about 2 years or so. All I can say it feels like death, like your dead inside. I felt a dark presence inside me. This dark presence was all around me and in my bedroom. I heard voices talking to me when I was alone. One time in 2nd period a guy who was one of my friends, asked me to trade souls with him. He called it ‘Soul Trading’. He asked me to look into his eyes but I didn't want to. I said “no” and closed my eyes. But for some reason I looked into his eyes and felt something leave my body and something enter. When he did this, I felt different inside and then he switched them back. Sometimes he would read my mind and knew what I was thinking and I didn't like that. I knew another guy who was a witch. We would read each other’s minds and yes it can happen! I would think of a question and he would answer me out loud without me saying anything to him. I had rock posters on my walls. I listened to Gothic, rock, and heavy metal music, and dressed in black clothes everyday. I also wore black eyeliner and dark makeup. I also got into drugs, smoking, drinking and sex. All those things are attempts to try to fill the void inside, but they don’t, as you just keep wanting more. I lived most of my life in darkness; I had no peace, love, joy or happiness.
All witchcraft brought me was pain, sadness, torment and fear.
Those years that I practiced witchcraft were the most dark and painful years of my life. I got very depressed; I stayed in my bedroom all the time. I was depressed over a guy, he was a witch. That was relationship ended in June of 2000. I eventually started cutting my self, mostly on my leg. At the time, the cutting seemed to relieve the pain I felt inside, but it really didn't I just thought it did. I had thoughts of suicide and I once tried to kill myself. I took a bunch of pills but it didn't work. After I graduated High School and none of my so called friends called me after that. I don't know it was like they were all gone. I did try to call a few people but they never seemed to have the time or just didn't want to hang out with me I guess. Guess you eventually find out who your true friends are. God is really the only true friend you can count on.
That was my past, but now I would like to tell you about my future. I finally got tired of all the pain, so I started praying for God to make a way for me to go to church, I prayed and cried about that for 3 months. See at that time my parents had stopped going to church. God made a way for me to ride with my mamaw and start going to church with her. The Pastor of her church gave her a ride and agreed to pick me up as well, since we lived near each other. Praise God for that! Jesus Christ slowly lead me back to him and I was so hungry for God and to get him back in my life, I went to church and just soaked up the word of God, it took God hammering me with the word even if I didn't like it. I had problems with rebellion. God continued to move in my life and slowly I grew closer to him and God was really working on me. There are two ladies at the church I am going to , that really mentored me and taught me Gods word, on Wed. nights. I thank God for them everyday. The Pastor and the assistant Pastor were my Sunday school teachers when I was a kid. The assistant Pastors Daughters were the ones who was mentoring me, which I thought was so cool. .
(2005)
Mamaw's church was going to be sold so I started looking for a new one. Due to unfourtante circumstances, no there fault. I didn't want to be with out a church. I began seeking a new church to attend and so the Lord lead me to one. I found Emmanuel Assembly of God. I started going there. I really felt God there, I never felt him like that at any other church I had been to. I'm so glad God lead me to that church before Mamaws church sold. Thank God for Emmanuel Assembly of God, I thank God for Pastor Rhye and all the people who go to Emmanuel. They have helped me so much. GLORY TO GOD!
The last 2 years I have been struggling with fear and being tormented at night. How long I'm not sure exactly. I would wrestle, toss and turn in the bed at night trying to go to sleep. I was scared of something I couldn’t see but I could feel its presence there, I didn’t know how to get rid of it. This spirit would even follow me through my house, like something was following me. See what happened was that I had never renounced witchcraft. I didn't know I was supposed to, no one ever told me I had to. I thought once you got saved that's it, well that is not the case. I got severely attacked in August and I didn’t sleep for 2 nights straight. I called my pastor for prayer, she prayed for me and rebuked the spirit attacking me. It left but it came back, why you ask. It's because I hadn't renounced witchcraft so that spirit was still there. See there were demon spirits influencing my mind. It was the 3rd day after I hadn't slept those 2 nights. It happpened on a Wednesday night at bible study. I was determined to make it to church that day. So I called Pastor Rhye and told him I really needed prayer bad, I went up to the altar for prayer. The ladies of the church got around me and started praying. One of the ladies who was praying for me stood me up and asked if I had been into witchcraft, she had no prior knowledge that I was into it. So I knew that it was the Holy Spirit. I prayed and renounced witchcraft and everything I practiced. I received deliverance, Glory to God. It is such a wonderful feeling of freedom when you have peace in your mind and isn't being tormented with thoughts that aren’t of God. After those demons left I received the full baptism of the Holy Ghost. Which is were you not only feel Jesus in your heart but you feel him from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. Praise God! He fills you completely with his light. Christians have authority in the name of Jesus to rebuke Satan and spirits of darkness. They have to flee at the name of Jesus. Since my soul was saved it couldn't over take me because Jesus was in my heart and nothing can remove the blood of Jesus. Now that I'm completely free Jesus has filled me with peace, love, joy and happiness and so much more than I could have ever asked for. I have eternal life and I get walk in freedom and have the assurance that some day when Jesus returns for his church I will get to be with him and spend eternity with Jesus; in Heaven the place he has prepared for me in Glory land. Heaven will be a place where there is no pain, no tears, no more troubles that this life brings us. Oh and most of all I get to walk free while I’m living here on earth which is the miracle. May Jesus Christ Love touch your heart and guide you throughout your new life that is to come.
All thanks, glory and honor to Jesus Christ for my salvation and for deliverance from the sin of witchcraft!
I hope this testimony has touched your heart and helped you to see that you need Jesus Christ to be set free.